NEA/ICRP Fora on the Evolution of the System of Radiation Protection

Introduction

Prague, Czech Republic, 24-25 October 2006

As part of its work, the NEA Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has organised, in collaboration with the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), several regional dialogue fora to discuss draft versions of the developing ICRP recommendations. Two such meetings have been held in Europe and two in Asia. Based on the next draft ICRP general recommendations, released for comment in the late spring of 2006, this meeting focused on the implications of these recommendations.

Background

New ICRP recommendations

In recent years, the ICRP has launched an open process to broaden, elaborate, and consolidate the current set of radiological protection recommendations. The ICRP is presenting new draft proposals and recommendations to the broad radiological protection community, and seeking a dialogue with all interested parties or stakeholders. The objective of this open process is to arrive at a new generation of ICRP recommendations that are broadly understood and accepted, so they can be effectively and efficiently implemented. The publication of these new recommendations is foreseen in the 2007 time frame.

The preliminary focus of the ICRP development has been on new general recommendations which will replace Publication 60. As part of this process, the ICRP has also identified a need to clarify and update its views on the radiological protection of non-human species. Both of these areas are of great interest to the member countries of the NEA.

CRPPH initiatives

As an international committee made up of nationally nominated radiation protection authorities and technical experts, the NEA CRPPH has for most of its history actively followed the work of the ICRP. This interest continues as the ICRP develops its new recommendations.

Shortly after the ICRP began to develop its new ideas, with Roger Clarke's Journal of Radiological Protection article on controllable dose (Journal of Radiological Protection 19 No 2, June 1999), the CRPPH began focusing on how the system of radiological protection could be made more responsive to decision makers, regulators, practitioners and the public. Through a series of expert groups, topical session discussions with the ICRP Chair, and broad stakeholder dialogue fora, the CRPPH has developed a comprehensive series of documents discussing relevant issues, and proposing possible directions to move forward effectively. Since the appearance of the new ICRP ideas in 1999, the CRPPH has developed and published 12 reports specifically concerning development of a new system, all of which are available from the NEA's website.

Forum objectives

Evaluate and discuss the latest draft ICRP recommendations.
Discuss how proposed ICRP recommendations can best meet the health and safety needs of national and international radiological protection.
Continue the open and broad dialogue between stakeholders to reach a common level of understanding of the issues at stake, and
Contribute in a positive and cons tructive manner to the evolution of new ICRP recommendations.

Forum format

Attendance at the forum will be open to the public, but will be limited to 150 participants. Forum discussions will be organised in two ways: through invited presentations, and through moderated panel discussions. This format is designed to favour the participation of the audience, and to promote dialogue between speakers, panel members and meeting participants.

Panel discussions

Panel discussions will involve brief presentations of key issues by each of the invited panel members, followed by a moderated discussion between the panel members and the workshop participants. Invitations P anel participation are has been developed intended to provide a range of views for each of the topics of discussion.

Forum proceedings

Proceedings and a synthesis report will be provided to the ICRP, and will be published by the NEA. A rapporteur will also be preparing a condensed summary of the forum for publication.

Programme Committee

Jacques Lochard (CRPPH Chair)
Lars-Erik Holm (ICRP Chair)
Sigurdur Magunsson (RASSC Chair)
Karla Petrova (Czech Republic)
Paloma Sendin (Spain)
Margaret Federline (United States)
Masahiro Doi (Japan)
Henri Metivier (Rapporteur)